


A Promise Twisted Around Thunderclouds.

by BornofFlame



Series: Among Gods and Mortals. [15]
Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Infection, Italian!Virgil, Virgil child of Theodon, Welsh Emile because I said so, emile has a nice family, slight body horror
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-06
Updated: 2021-02-06
Packaged: 2021-03-12 00:01:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,308
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29251137
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BornofFlame/pseuds/BornofFlame
Summary: Emile comes from a long line of mortals who can see through the Mist.So that explains why he was able to find an unconscious body while loading trash off of his family's freighter.And maybe it's just the help that Virgil needs.
Relationships: Anxiety | Virgil Sanders & Dr. Emile Picani
Series: Among Gods and Mortals. [15]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2099127
Comments: 7
Kudos: 15





	A Promise Twisted Around Thunderclouds.

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Lalalaloo](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lalalaloo/gifts).



> enjoy!  
> -satellite

Emile was passing a dumpster when he saw the body. The eighteen year old had been helping his brother cart garbage down from their boat and he was about to head back when a bandaged hand caught his eye and he paused.

“Emi, come on!”

“I’ll be up in a minute!”

His brother rolled his eyes and continued on, wheeling his garbage cart as Emile pushed his to the side and followed the hand to the arm, which led to a passed out teen, half covered in trash.

Emile knelt next to the teen and flipped him, gasping quietly when his eyes fluttered open. He had a ratty hoodie on and Emile was pretty sure that the dried blood on the teen’s forehead was from a fresh wound, but his dirty hair was hiding anything that could confirm it.

“Hey…” Emile gently grabbed his hand, and the teen didn’t even react, seemingly unaware that his hand was being held.

The teen’s eyes closed again. Emile sighed and lifted him up and out of the trash, placing him in the garbage cart.

He brought the cart back to the ship, realizing that he was probably abducting someone, but then again, would anyone miss the teen? He’d been in a garbage pile. And if his guess was right…

Emile had caught his first demigod.

…

“Mam, I caught a boy!” Emile burst into the ship’s kitchen and Mrs. Thomas jumped, surprised.

“Honey, I told you not to take people.”

Emile blinked. “He’s a demigod.”

Mrs. Thomas paused. “How do you know.”

“Let me show you, come on! He’s in the commons on the foldout.” Emile led her out to the couch and they both stared at the body there for a moment before Mrs. Thomas spoke up.

“Poor thing. Has he given you a name?”

“No. He won’t wake up.”

Mrs. Thomas looked at him. “Emi, you sure he’s one of them?”

“Yes, I saw it.” Emile looked away. “Well, sort of. His branching is too complex to understand. And it.. it’s fractured.”

“Fractured?”

Emile nodded and the teen on the couch stirred, still not awake, but at least it confirmed that he wasn’t dead. 

“Well, I’ll get some of the healing stuff. You stay here for when he wakes.”

Emile nodded.

…

Virgil woke up to someone leaning over him, green eyes wide with curiosity. He sat up and yelped as the other scrambled back, adjusting their glasses as Virgil summoned his swords and held them out.

“Stay back!”

“It’s okay, you’re safe!”

Virgil swung his legs off the couch and stood, brain completely in defense mode as he held out the weapons threateningly. “What?”  
“I found you and brought you to my Mam so we could make sure you were okay!” The other had their hands raised defensively and Virgil dropped his swords and stumbled back, sitting down.

“Sorry.”

They moved their hands away and leaned forward. “I can show you that I’m no monster.”

“Okay…”

Virgil watched as they leaned forward and tried to pick up one of the swords by the blade. Their hand passed through it and Virgil relaxed slightly.

“I’m Emile, uh he/him if you please.”

“Uh, Virgil.” Virgil croaked out as Emile smiled.

“Thanks! Do you remember how you ended up in the trash at a shipping dock?”

Virgil nodded. “I uh, I need to get to Italy and I was going to stow on a cargo ship.”

“You can’t afford a flight?”

“I don’t have a passport.”

“Oh, do you have a social security? We could help you get one.”

“I’m from a different reality.”

Emile paused. Virgil wanted to laugh, but instead a coughing fit broke out and Emile moved forward to help him lay back on the couch.

“Hey, you probably need to sleep. You can explain everything once you’re better.”

“I’m fine.” Virgil protested, but Emile was already pulling off his coat to drape it over him.

“My mam can patch you up, and change the ones on your hands.”

“Oh, those aren’t going to heal.” Virgil murmured as his eyes began to unwillingly slip shut.

“We’ll worry about that. You’re safe.”

Virgil fell back asleep.

…

It took them three hours.

Three hours to peel away bloody bandages and clean the wounds, which were yellowing with infection. Emile was genuinely surprised that Virgil had even survived this long with how bad it had been. And when they went through his backpack, it was clear that he hadn’t been able to care for them from lack of supplies.

The one on his forehead luckily was fresh enough that when the dried blood was scraped away, there wasn’t any infection.

And Virgil was so out he didn’t wake up until an hour after they had finished. Emile watched as Virgil sat back up and rubbed at his eyes, hissing slightly when his newly bandaged palm touched his face.

“You’re awake.”

Virgil nodded. “Thank you.”

“Yeah, and my mother offers you safe passage- to Wales at least.” Emile shifted in his chair. “We leave port in a few days.”

“Emile-- if there’s anything I can do to earn my--”

Emile held up a hand. “Mam said safe passage, and you need time to recover. We have plenty of room and food for you, it will not cause a dent in our supplies.”

Virgil went to protest, but Emile shot him a stern look. “I mean it Virgil.”

“Thank you.”

“Of course.” Emile stood and held out an arm. “I can take you to the kitchen, when was the last time you had an actual meal?”

Virgil stood and leaned on Emile, shrugging. “Probably when I last left New York. The state, not the city.”

“Oh dear, my mam’s going to freak out.”

“Why?” Virgil half stumbled as they started to walk and Emile shifted his arm so he could better brace him.

“Do I really need to explain?”

Virgil flushed red. “No I guess.”

“How old are you anyway? You look kind of young to be wandering on your own.”

“It’s January right?” Virgil asked. Emile nodded and the demigod sighed softly. “Eighteen.”

Oh. Emile looked down and smiled kindly. “Happy birthday.”

“It was a few weeks ago. Probably.” Virgil actually had stopped keeping track of the days right after August seventeenth and it was mostly because it was easier to keep track of time by the constant amount of monster attacks he’d been subject to.

Or police. He’d already been chased over three state lines for lack of documentation. 

Emile led him into a warm kitchen and offered a chair to him, making sure that he was comfortable before heading to the stove, where his mother had left a pot of soup to simmer.

“So Virgil, how’d you end up here?”

“Uh.” Virgil fiddled with his hoodie sleeves before looking up. “I have a weird..gift I guess. And I accidentally brought my ex and I here-- to this world and I managed to get him back but not at the cost..” Virgil held up his bandaged hands. “Of you know.”

“Ah.” Emile pulled out a bowl and spooned some soup into it. “Does your home have the gods?”

“No.”

Emile grabbed a spoon on his way over and offered the food to Virgil. The demigod gently took the bowl, but once he had it secure, he started to eat it faster than was probably safe.

“This is good.”

“Are you even tasting it?” Emile teased.

Virgil looked up through his bangs and glared. “Yes.”

“Okay. Do you want some water as well?” Emile stood from his seat to grab a water bottle and Virgil watched him as he opened it and poured it into a glass. “Here.”

“I want to say something that isn’t thanks, but I really don’t know what to say.” Virgil kicked one of his legs nervously and started to mess with the spoon and bowl, not eating.

“You don’t have to say anything.” Emile set the glass down. “I get it.”

“Okay.”

“Yep, and I’m sure one of my brother’s has new clothes you can borrow while we travel over. You need a shower and warm clothing if you're going to be traveling with us.”

Virgil nodded and moved his half full bowl away so he could rest his head against the counter that they were sitting at. “Okay.”

…

_ Three days later. _

“That boy will be the death of you.” Emile’s brother said abruptly when the pair were transporting some mooring ropes to storage.

“What?”

“I saw it and Mam did too. He’s your death bringer.”

“You know that that kind of thing is just a silly myth in our family. There’s no proof of it in any other groups of people that walk between myth and fog.”

His brother shrugged. “Not my problem.”

“And don’t call him that boy. He’s older than you.”

His brother shook his head. “Emi, I don’t care. I want you to stay safe around him. There’s a reason why you were the one to find him and not me, despite passing the same spot.”

“You were on your phone while moving your cart.”

_ “Emi.” _

Emile’s grin faltered. “I’ll be careful.” 

When they had finished, Emile went to the deck of the ship, where Virgil was, wrapped in a blanket with a grey beanie firmly pulled over his ears. He was sitting on a storage unit that was being transported and Emile climbed up to sit next to him.

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” Virgil murmured softly. Emile looked over the water, the endless expanse of water.

“It is I suppose. I’ve done this journey many times, you get used to it.”

“Maybe you just need something new in your life.” Virgil blinked at him and Emile ducked his head.

“Perhaps. Why are you heading to Europe?”

Virgil sighed and looked back over the water. “I have to find my father. Get closure, ask how he met my mother and had me. I don’t think I’ll really feel at peace until then.”

“I never knew my father.” Emile said. “He was lost before I could remember. Although my Mam was pregnant with my brother when he left.”

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay, I have a wonderful stepfather. He’s the captain of this freighter actually.” 

“Your whole family must work here.”

“They do. We come from a long line of those who can see through the fog that covers most minds. My Mam and brother can even see glimpses of futures.”

“Can you?”

Emile shuddered. “I can see branching choices. But nothing specific.”

“Interesting.” Virgil shifted in his seat so he was better looking at Emile. “Wanna see what I can do?”

Emile nodded and Virgil took off his beanie, holding it carefully in his bandaged hands. 

“What’s your favorite color?”

“Pink.”

The beanie changed to a hot pink and Virgil let out a quiet whimper of pain before taking it and putting it on Emile. “I can manipulate reality.”

“It hurt you.”

“It does that. I conduct my ability through my hands and that’s why they’re so damaged.” Virgil shrugged. 

Emile took off the beanie and ran it through his hands. “Sounds painful.”

“You get used to it.” Virgil went to say something else, but Emile stuck the beanie back onto his head, making him flush a bright red. Or maybe that was just the cold wind agitating his skin.

“Keep it, it looks good on you.”

“Th-thanks Emile.”

…

_ Night Ten. _

It was raining and Virgil couldn’t sleep. He wasn’t sure if it was the listing in the ship, or just the sheer amount of nightmares that he’d been having since they set off, but either way, he couldn’t sleep. 

He rolled out of the bed and pulled on a sweater that was purple and made of thick wool, before adding his ratted hoodie over it.

Then he snuck up to the deck of the ship.

Was it reckless? Yeah. But he wasn’t going to go and jump off the side or anything and it wasn’t raining hard enough to completely soak you, so he stood there, watching the clouds and the storm.

“Hey.”

Virgil turned to see that Emile was also awake and dressed far more sensibly than he was, a bright yellow raincoat keeping him dry.

“Ciao.”

“I couldn’t sleep either.” Emile walked next to him and looked up. “Sometimes you can see gods in the sky when it rains.”

Virgil looked up as well, at the dark sky. “I dislike them.”

“The gods?”

“Yes.”

Virgil felt an arm wrap around him. Instead of pushing it away, he leaned into Emile’s embrace.

“They have done some horrible things.” Emile said casually. “I don’t blame you, to a fault.”

Virgil raised an eyebrow. “To a fault?”

“I wouldn’t have met you if the gods didn’t exist!” Emile smiled and blinked. “Shit, I got rain in my eyes.”

“We should probably go back below.” Virgil said and Emile nodded.

“Good idea.”

…

_ Day Fifteen. _

They had docked earlier that day and now Virgil was standing on the dock next to Emile, his backpack stuffed with food and supplies that Emile’s mother had given him.

“Emile…” Virgil trailed off and looked down, scuffing at the ground with his shoe. “I.. I uh, thank you.”

Emile leaned forward and wrapped him in a hug. “You know where to find me.”

When he pulled away, Virgil paused. 

Well, now or never. He reached his healed hands up and grabbed Emile’s face gently, running his thumbs over where the other had started crying.

“I’ll come back, I promise.”

“Okay...”

Virgil stood on his tiptoes and pressed a quick kiss to Emile’s lips before pulling back and letting go.

“Bye Emile.”

Then he turned and walked off without another glance back.

Emile waited until Virgil disappeared around a corner before heading back to the ship. 

He’d be back.

He promised.

**Author's Note:**

> look, if you were stuck on a ship with a guy your age for fifteen straight days, you'd fall in love too. And it's been about eight months since Virgil yeeted Roman home. I know people who've processed breakups in like three days.
> 
> and yeah, am I pushing a Virgil/Emile agenda? Yes. Do I think they'd be sweet together, especially since Virgil and Roman are both maturing and moving forward.


End file.
